Fashion Rules!: A Closer Look at Clothing In the Middle Ages
At one time long ago it wasn’t what you did that gave you value or social standing but WHO you were During a time in Europe called the Middle Ages your position in life was based on birth This position would follow you throughout your life To make it easy for others to know your class rules about what you could wear or not wear were created Such rules called sumptuary laws determined colors of clothing types of fabric and trims length of garments types of sleeves and types of furs The laws also regulated shoe lengths and height hat height types of buttons and even the number of buttons you could wear People were to dress according to the class in which they were born In this way just looking at someone you could tell if they were important or not And it gave the wealthy nobles a way to be noticed by everyone Introduction
BICKFORD HAD BEEN WALKING for days and had just arrived at a new town He was wearing a long black cape His hat showing the job he did was on top of his bald head A hood covered his head As a traveling jester Bickford was eager to entertain people with his riddles jokes and acting abilities Few people traveled outside their villages and towns during the Middle Ages In addition to his entertainment Bickford provided news from the outside world to local villagers Bickford hoped that people would enjoy his talents He hoped he would make them laugh and they would want him to keep performing He knew that as soon as he bored people he would be on the road again traveling to a new place
Back in the Day The Middle Ages or Medieval times lasted from the fall of the Roman Empire about 476 until the Reformation began in 1517 ending the domination of the Catholic Church in Europe
